India Eye Series Win in Greenfield Debut

Thiruvananthapuram: India play West Indies in the fifth ODI at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

After losing the third ODI in Pune, India came back strongly to beat West Indies by 224 runs in the fourth ODI in Mumbai and lead the series 2-1.

India go into the final ODI on Thursday eyeing another home series triumph against the West Indies, a far cry from the dominant force it was when Thiruvananthapuram last hosted a 50-over international three decades ago.

A victory in the fifth and penultimate One-day International will ensure India maintain their unbeaten run since the reverse against South Africa in 2015.

Virat Kohli's men bounced back from the loss in the third match at Pune to record massive 224-run win at Mumbai.

The home team will hope to carry the momentum into the series decider in the Southern city.

While Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been in superlative form, scoring three and two centuries respectively, Ambati Rayudu, backed by the skipper, has also been among the runs.

The return of Jasprit Bumrah has added value to the Indian team and he proved his worth in the two games he has played while the young Khaleel Ahmed showed he's learning with an impressive spell at the Brabourne Stadium.

The visitors, on the other hand, have blown hot and cold in the one-dayers after being routed in the Tests.

Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope have impressed the most, having logged a century each while underlining their abilities. Captain Holder has shown he can handle the Indian spinners pretty well but the other batsmen have not covered themselves with glory.

The participation of off-spinner Ashley Nurse, who has been a consistent performer, is in doubt after he suffered an injury during the Mumbai game. His absence could affect the hopes of the Windies in the all-important game.